Southern Maine life Fun Things to do NANCY TIMBERLAKE RE/MAX Shoreline The Common at 88 Middle Street Portland, Maine 04101; (207) 553-7314 ntimberlake@homesinmaine.com
Food, Entertainment, and Arts
Friday, February 28, 2014
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Moving....
Make Moving Easier
Whether you're planning a move across town or across the country, making the move hassle-free is what it is all about. Besides the traditional garage sale and packing of boxes, there are a few details you won't want to forget before you begin loading the truck:
Plan Ahead
Experts recommend scheduling moves at least one month in advance, especially during the peak-moving season between May and September. Some estimates indicate 80 percent of all moving and storage business is done when schools are out. That's when employees are most likely to be transferred.
Ask Questions
Take the time to get as much information as possible from moving companies before selecting one. Check on truck size and availability. Ask about moving supplies, such as boxes, dollies and furniture pads. Find out about protection plans for your possessions. Ask about lost or damaged property claim procedures. Determine price differences in packing the truck yourself or having it professionally packed. Get estimates.
Save Your Receipts
Many of your moving expenses are tax deductible, so hang onto your receipts. Consult with your tax advisor to find out what is deductible, or call the Internal Revenue Service and request Publication 521: "Tax Information On Moving Expenses" to find out which moving expenses are deductible.
Collect Documents
If you're moving out of the area, you'll need to gather your family's personal records. Remember to get your medical and dental records, school transcripts, legal documents, titles, bank records, tax returns, stocks and bonds certificates, birth certificates, passports and insurance documents. Be sure to empty your safe deposit box.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Hiring a Professional Inspector
Buying a home, whether a new or resale property, is one of the biggest investments you're likely to make. That's why hiring a professional inspector to check out your home's basic systems and structural integrity is so important. An inspector looks for and recommends changes that can make the difference in how much money you will spend for future repairs and maintenance. Even if you have a good eye for detail or are buying a brand new home, a thorough inspection by an experienced professional is a wise choice that can save you a lot of time, money and frustration in the future. Please call me for more information on how a professional inspector can make a difference in your home's purchase
Spring Cleaning List
Spring Cleaning List
- Published: April 20, 2012
- By: Lara Edge
- Published: April 20, 2012
- By: Lara Edge
Don’t you just love that feeling you get when you check items off a list? Get that adrenaline going with our spring cleaning list.
Spring cleaning isn’t quite the ritual it once was, but there’s still a basic human need to open up and spruce up our homes when the weather gets warmer.
To help you scratch your itch to spring clean, we’ve put together a spring cleaning list for those pieces and parts of your home that are most neglected throughout the year. Plus, we’ve added tips to make the chores easier.
Before you begin: Turn up the tunes with our Spotify spring cleaning playlist. Now you’re ready to tackle your spring cleaning list:
Walls: Dust your walls with your vacuum brush attachment, then clean using an all-purpose cleaner and rinse. Repair your walls by patching holes and dings and touching up paint.
TIP: Don’t use a spray cleaner, which will only leave streaks on your walls. Soak a cloth in cleaner, then wipe. To rinse, follow up with a clean cloth soaked in plain water.
Baseboards: Dust with a microfiber cloth or use your vacuum brush attachment, then spray with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe clean.
TIP: Clean your baseboards after you clean your floors since cleaning floors tends to kick debris up onto baseboards.
Windows: Use a microfiber cloth soaked in a solution of ¼ cup vinegar, ¼ to ½ teaspoon dish soap, and 2 cups water.
TIP: Don’t be tempted to use more vinegar. Too much can make windows appear cloudy.
Window screens: To deep clean your window screens, you should remove them. Place outside on a tarp or other clean waterproof surface, then use a garden hose, an all-purpose cleaner, and a soft brush (gently on the screen) to clean. Repair any torn window screens.
TIP: When removing your screens and hardware, label their location as you go to make re-installing them a breeze.
Shelves: Remove all items from shelves, and dust both the items and the shelves.
TIP: Use museum putty to secure items that tend to fall over, especially if you live in earthquake-prone areas.
Driveway: Use a pressure washer to give your driveway (and garage floor) a good cleaning. It’s amazing what a difference a sparkling driveway makes to your home’s curb appeal.
TIP: Try using Coke or Pepsi to remove oil and grease stains. It’ll take a little elbow grease, too, but the acidity of dark colas helps remove oil stains, as well as other tough stains, such as rust.
Siding: Using warm, soapy water and a soft-bristled brush attached to a long handle, clean your home in sections small enough to keep soapy water from drying before you can rinse.
TIP: Pressure washers can make the job go easier, but if you’re a power-washer newbie, you risk stripping off paint or damaging your siding. Try one of the newer, lighter, electric power washers, which are easier to handle, or stick with the old-fashioned method. Either way, wash from the bottom up to help prevent streaking.
Upholstery: Vacuum your sofas and chairs. Spot clean or steam clean as needed. Freshen dusty pillows, throws, and curtains by tossing them in the dryer on low or no heat. Or, take them outside on a nice day to fluff and bask in the sun as an energy-saving alternative.
TIP: To spot clean, use “whipped detergent” — a mixture of half dish soap and half water. Beat to a froth. Soak a cloth in the mixture, wash the stain, then rinse with a cloth soaked in fresh water.
Ceiling fans: Spray the inside of an old pillowcase with cleaning solution, then slip the bag over each blade and wipe clean.
TIP: Before you go up a ladder to clean your ceiling fan, check to see if the fan is turning in the right direction to keep your home cool. If you feel a breeze underneath the blades when turned on, your fan is set for summer. If you don’t feel a breeze, change the direction.
Air conditioners: Change your air conditioner filter, or clean it by soaking it in a vinegar-and-water solution for 1 to 4 hours (depending on how long it’s been since you last cleaned). Let dry completely before replacing.
TIP: Let the filter dry outside in bright sunshine to kill bacteria and to help remove odors.
For more spring cleaning lists, check out our Spring Cleaning 101 Guide and The Anti-Martha-Stewart Spring Cleaning Guide.
Lara Edge has bought four homes, sold three, and downsized into an urban home less than half the square footage of her old one. She has 20 years of editing experience, most recently at HGTV, which inspired her to do some DIY, and to know when it pays to hire a pro.
Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/maintenance-repair/spring-cleaning-list/#ixzz2tmvtgi94
Spring cleaning isn’t quite the ritual it once was, but there’s still a basic human need to open up and spruce up our homes when the weather gets warmer.
To help you scratch your itch to spring clean, we’ve put together a spring cleaning list for those pieces and parts of your home that are most neglected throughout the year. Plus, we’ve added tips to make the chores easier.
Before you begin: Turn up the tunes with our Spotify spring cleaning playlist. Now you’re ready to tackle your spring cleaning list:
Walls: Dust your walls with your vacuum brush attachment, then clean using an all-purpose cleaner and rinse. Repair your walls by patching holes and dings and touching up paint.
TIP: Don’t use a spray cleaner, which will only leave streaks on your walls. Soak a cloth in cleaner, then wipe. To rinse, follow up with a clean cloth soaked in plain water.
Baseboards: Dust with a microfiber cloth or use your vacuum brush attachment, then spray with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe clean.
TIP: Clean your baseboards after you clean your floors since cleaning floors tends to kick debris up onto baseboards.
Windows: Use a microfiber cloth soaked in a solution of ¼ cup vinegar, ¼ to ½ teaspoon dish soap, and 2 cups water.
TIP: Don’t be tempted to use more vinegar. Too much can make windows appear cloudy.
Window screens: To deep clean your window screens, you should remove them. Place outside on a tarp or other clean waterproof surface, then use a garden hose, an all-purpose cleaner, and a soft brush (gently on the screen) to clean. Repair any torn window screens.
TIP: When removing your screens and hardware, label their location as you go to make re-installing them a breeze.
Shelves: Remove all items from shelves, and dust both the items and the shelves.
TIP: Use museum putty to secure items that tend to fall over, especially if you live in earthquake-prone areas.
Driveway: Use a pressure washer to give your driveway (and garage floor) a good cleaning. It’s amazing what a difference a sparkling driveway makes to your home’s curb appeal.
TIP: Try using Coke or Pepsi to remove oil and grease stains. It’ll take a little elbow grease, too, but the acidity of dark colas helps remove oil stains, as well as other tough stains, such as rust.
Siding: Using warm, soapy water and a soft-bristled brush attached to a long handle, clean your home in sections small enough to keep soapy water from drying before you can rinse.
TIP: Pressure washers can make the job go easier, but if you’re a power-washer newbie, you risk stripping off paint or damaging your siding. Try one of the newer, lighter, electric power washers, which are easier to handle, or stick with the old-fashioned method. Either way, wash from the bottom up to help prevent streaking.
Upholstery: Vacuum your sofas and chairs. Spot clean or steam clean as needed. Freshen dusty pillows, throws, and curtains by tossing them in the dryer on low or no heat. Or, take them outside on a nice day to fluff and bask in the sun as an energy-saving alternative.
TIP: To spot clean, use “whipped detergent” — a mixture of half dish soap and half water. Beat to a froth. Soak a cloth in the mixture, wash the stain, then rinse with a cloth soaked in fresh water.
Ceiling fans: Spray the inside of an old pillowcase with cleaning solution, then slip the bag over each blade and wipe clean.
TIP: Before you go up a ladder to clean your ceiling fan, check to see if the fan is turning in the right direction to keep your home cool. If you feel a breeze underneath the blades when turned on, your fan is set for summer. If you don’t feel a breeze, change the direction.
Air conditioners: Change your air conditioner filter, or clean it by soaking it in a vinegar-and-water solution for 1 to 4 hours (depending on how long it’s been since you last cleaned). Let dry completely before replacing.
TIP: Let the filter dry outside in bright sunshine to kill bacteria and to help remove odors.
For more spring cleaning lists, check out our Spring Cleaning 101 Guide and The Anti-Martha-Stewart Spring Cleaning Guide.
Great Breakfast Spot in Portland
The Front Room on Upper Congress St: Fluffy omelet and most delicious biscuits ever!
http://www.thefrontroomrestaurant.com/
Saturday, February 15, 2014
New listing 6 Faith St Lisbon ME
$155,000. Adorable Cape with 4 bedrooms and one and a half baths, fireplace, and woodstove, big yard, hardwood, family room!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)